Don Finley: Another reason to eat well

You know that heart-healthy diet &#151 low fat, lots of vegetables, lean protein, maybe a little red wine? A new study that included San Antonio patients finds it might be good for the prostate, too.

That’s presuming, of course, you have a prostate.

Eating well slashed the risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia (enlarged prostate), a painful &#151 and painfully common &#151 problem that afflicts about half of all men by age 50, and pretty much all of us by 70. The symptoms? Painful and frequent urination.

The study looked at the risk for various components of diet. A fatty diet raised the odds of developing BPH by 31 percent. Red meat on a daily basis increased risk even more, by 38 percent. On the other hand, four or more servings of vegetables a day equal to about 20 percent of daily calories lowered risk by 15 percent. Drinking one or two glasses of one’s favorite alcoholic beverage lowered risk by 38 percent.